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How to calculate age from a date of birth in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Date arithmeticExcel & Google Sheets
=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y")Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Put the birth date in a cell, e.g. A2, as a real date.
- 2Enter =DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y") to get completed years.
- 3The age updates automatically each day because TODAY() is always current.
Tips
- Use "M" for total months or "D" for total days.
- If A2 is text, not a date, DATEDIF errors — make sure the cell is a real date.
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Frequently asked
Why does DATEDIF give an error?
Usually the start cell holds text rather than a real date, or the dates are reversed. Confirm A2 is a date and earlier than today.
More on Date arithmetic
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TODAY / DATEDIF
Work with the current date and measure the gap between two dates.
How-toHow to calculate days between two dates
Subtract one date from another to get the number of days, or count working days with NETWORKDAYS. Works in both apps.
ReferenceDATEDIF
Calculates the difference between two dates in years, months, or days using a unit code string.
How-toHow to add months to a date
Shift a date forward or back by a number of months with EDATE — it handles month lengths correctly. Works in both apps.
How-toHow to flag overdue dates
Mark rows whose due date has passed by comparing it to TODAY() with IF. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.
How-toHow to calculate age from a birthday
Use DATEDIF with TODAY() to calculate a person's exact age in years from a birth date cell in Excel and Google Sheets.